Aury Cruz holds record of most points in a Pan Am Cup

MEXICO CITY, México, June 10, 2014 –Aury Cruz of Puerto Rico has been the most prolific scorer in a single edition of Women’s Pan American Cup with the 151 points the amassed in the 2009 event held in Miami, Florida.

The veteran Cruz also holds the all-time record of games with 20 or more points scored with 11, followed by countrywomen Karina Ocasio and Dominican Republic’s Bethania De la Cruz each with 8. United States’ Nancy Metcalf, Trinidad and Tobago’s Krystle Esdelle and Costa Rica’s Verania Willis have surpassed the 20-point barrier seven times.

Some of the records of the annual event were announced on Tuesday by Roosevelt Comarazamy, NORCECA Press Director, on the eve of the start of the actions at Juan de la Barrera Coliseum and Carlos Martínez Balmori Multi-Sport Hall in Mexico City and Pachuca, respectively, of the XIII Women’s Pan American Cup.

Brazilian Thaisa Meneses hold the all-time mark of most blocks with the 33 she scored in 2011 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico while Mexican Ana Mercado owns the record of most serving aces with 25 in 2005 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Dominicans Sidarka Nuñez and Cindy Rondon  have the record of most points and most blocks in a single game.

The lefty Nuñez recorded 37 points against United States on May 30, 2008 in Tijuana, Mexico. The same year Rondon finished with 13 blocks against Brazil on June 7.

The record of most aces in a match belongs to USA’s Nicole Brannagh who fired 9 aces against Puerto Rico on June 27, 2002 at the inaugural event in Tijuana.

On the other hand, Dominican Republic holds the record of most blocks by a team in a single match with 23 against Puerto Rico on June 27, 2007 in Colima, Mexico while Cuba has the mark of most serving aces with 19 against Barbados on June 11, 2005 in Santo Domingo.

The highest scoring set in the history of the event was the 36-34 first set won by Puerto Rico against Dominican Republic on July 3, 2009 in Miami. It was part of the highest ever scoring match won by the Dominicans (34-36, 22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-9) with the two teams totaling 235 points.

United States and Dominican Republic are the countries with most victories in the twelve previous events with a total of 60. Brazil and Cuba are next with 55 and 54, respectively.

Ten of the 60 victories of United States have been recorded against Puerto Rico for the most dominance of a team over an opponent.

Dominican Republic holds 8-0 win-loss records against both Puerto Rico and Mexico and leads 7-0 the head-to-head contests with Canada. Meanwhile, Cuba has defeated the Dominican Republic in 8 of 10 matches.